Discovering Ideas for Future Strategic Technologies and National Challenges
Total Prize Money of 10 Million Won
The Ministry of Science and ICT is launching an initiative to discover challenging research and development (R&D) ideas that will help design the future of South Korea together with its citizens.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will hold the 'K-Moonshot Project National Public Contest' from December 16, 2025, to January 15, 2026. This contest is part of the K-Moonshot Project, which is being promoted as a key national policy under the new administration. Its goal is to foster future strategic technologies and to solve national and societal challenges.
The term "Moonshot" originates from the Apollo lunar exploration project by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1969. Today, it symbolizes innovative challenges that transcend technological limits. The core of the K-Moonshot Project is to set clear missions and boldly pursue high-risk, high-reward research and development.
The Ministry is planning related projects through an advisory panel composed of top experts in fields such as AI-based drug development, clean energy, household and caregiving humanoids, rare earth reduction technologies, and next-generation memory semiconductors. Through this contest, the Ministry aims to broadly collect ideas from both researchers and the general public.
The contest themes include national strategic technology fields and innovative R&D ideas for solving national and societal challenges, such as: advanced bio, AI humanoids, quantum, space and aviation, semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, materials and nano, future energy, and others. Any South Korean citizen can participate, and submissions are divided into general public and researcher categories.
Entries can be submitted through the contest website. A panel of experts will evaluate submissions based on criteria such as the necessity of solving national-level problems, whether a challenging mission is established, and the potential economic and social impact. There will be a total of six awards, including Grand Prize and Excellence Awards, with total prize money amounting to 10 million won.
The Grand Prize (one for the general public and one for researchers) will include an award from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, along with a prize of 3 million won. The Excellence Awards (two for the general public and two for researchers) will include an award from the President of the National Research Foundation of Korea and a prize of 1 million won. The results will be announced in March 2026.
Koo Hyukchae, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "The K-Moonshot Project aims for high-risk, high-reward R&D that has the potential to change the country's future if successful," adding, "The challenging and creative ideas of our citizens will be a key to solving national challenges."
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